Amphibious pedal powered sailboat

Abstract

An amphibious pedal powered sailboat apparatus is provided by the present invention. In one embodied form, the inventive boating apparatus comprises in combination a relatively lightweight boat hull having an upper deck portion, a bow portion, and a stern portion; a front pair of wheels mounted on the hull for steering and to provide mobility of the apparatus on land and a rear pair of wheels mounted on the hull to provide traction and mobility of the apparatus on land; a first pedalling stand fixedly mounted in the bow portion of the hull and a second pedalling stand fixedly mounted in the stern portion of the hull; the first and second pedalling stands each comprising a pair of foot pedals mounted for rotational movement about a horizontal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the hull; and drive mechanism for coordinating operation of the pair of foot pedals on the first and second pedalling stands. A unique transmission system is provided wherein rotational movement of the foot pedals by one or more occupants of the apparatus is transmitted to a gearing system and the drive mechanism which synchronously powers a screw propeller and powers the rear pair of wheels to provide amphibious operation of the apparatus. Accordingly, the unique pedal powered sailboat apparatus of the present invention is capable of cruising on water with pedal power of the occupants and capable of land transportation without the use of fossil fueled combustion entines or electricity.

I claim: 
     
       1. An amphibious pedal powdered sailboat apparatus comprising in combination: a relatively lightweight boat hull having an upper deck portion, a bow portion and a stern portion;   a front pair of wheels mounted on said hull for steering and to provide mobility of said apparatus on land and a rear pair of wheels mounted on said hull, to provide traction and mobility of said apparatus on land;   means for elevating said front pair of wheels mounted on said hull from ground level to deck level;   a first pedalling stand fixedly mounted in the bow portion of said hull and a second pedalling stand fixedly mounted in the stern portion of said hull;   said first and second pedalling stand each comprising a pair of foot pedals mounted on said pedalling stand for rotational movement about a horizontal axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said hull;   drive means for coordinated operation of said pair of foot pedals on said pedalling stands;   said drive means including plural bevel gears and a transmission shaft connected to a pinion shaft for translating and apportioning the rotational movement of said foot pedals to a screw propeller mounted on said hull and to said pair of rear wheels mounted on said hull;   a sail for optionally powering said apparatus by wind power; and   steering means for controlling directional movement of said apparatus;   wherein rotational movement of said foot pedals by one more occupants is transmitted to said gearing system of said drive means which synchronously powers said screw propeller and powers said rear pair of wheels to provide amphibious operation of said apparatus.   
     
     
       2. The amphibious powered sailboat apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a screw propeller, a gear box containing a series of gears therein, two sets of drive chains, two pairs of crank-pedals and four sprocket wheels. 
     
     
       3. The amphibious pedal powered sailboat apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein a first of said four sprocket wheels is positioned at said gear box, a second and third sprocket wheel is positioned at said second pedalling stand and a fourth sprocket wheel is positioned at said first pedalling stand, drive means for coordinated operation of the pair of foot pedals on the pedalling stands;   the drive means including plural drive chains and plural sprocket wheels and gearing means for translating and apportioning the rotational movement of the foot pedals to a screw propeller mounted on the hull and to the pair of rear wheels mounted on the hull;   a sail for optionally powering the apparatus by wind power; and   steering means for controlling directional movement of the apparatus;   wherein rotational movement of the foot pedals by one or more occupants is transmitted to the gearing system of the drive means which synchronously powers the screw propeller and powers the rear pair of wheels to provide amphibious operation of the apparatus.